Cargo airplane



A. O. TAYLOR CARGO AIRPLANE Aug. 3, 1 948.

5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 7, 1944 INVENTOR:

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A. O. TAYLOR CARGO AIRPLANE 3 sheets-sheet 2 Filed NOV.l '7, 1944 INVENTOR- /a/zsm 0. Zay/a,

' ATTORNEYS.

Aug 3, 1948 A. o. TAYLoR 2,446,441

CARGO AIRPLANE Filed Nov. 7, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 n g N ii ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 3, 1948 ALiriiTE-i) STATES i rATeNT orifice-.

GARGO AIRPLANE` Alanson O. Taylor, Lansdowne, Pa.l Application November 7, 1944, Serial No. 562,284

1o claims. (c1. 2449137) Y, i

This invention relates to airplanes intended fo use in cargo transport and has reference more particularly to cargo planes in which the cargo spaces are located centrally of the fuselages and are accessible for loading and unloading from above.

'The primary 'object of this invention is to `provide a cargo transport airplane with an opening in the top `for passage into or removal therefrom of a C.'v L. (capacity load) or a P. L. (plane load) container, or a series of alignedL. C. L. (less than capacity load) containers which are positioned and stabilized longitudinal-ly and laterally of the airplane, in conjunction with a cover means effective to close the fuselage opening and .simultaneously secure the container or containers against vertical displacement.

Another object of the invention is to reinforce the airplane in the region Where the cargo container or containers are located land to prevent the impartation of concentrated injurious strain or strains to other parts of the airplane; said reinforcement being conveniently effected by guide means for the entry and withdrawal of the cargo container or containers disposed inl spacial relation to the conventional shell supporting ribs.

A further object is to effectively prevent the shifting of thecargo container or containers. and providing each such container or containers with a skid-like base or shallow underframe construction upon which the load is sustained.

While the foregoing definitions are indicative, in a general way, of the main objectives of this invention, others With ancillary advantages will be evident to those conversant with the art upon a. full understanding of the construction, arrangement and operation of the means hereinafter disclosed; but it will also be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of other embodiments and ingequally within the terms and scope of the concluding claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figs. l and 2, respectively, show a side elevation and a front endview of ya cargo plane conveniently embodying this invention, with the top hatch of the fuselage open to receive the lading.` Fig. 3 shows the plane in top plan with the hatch closed.

Fig.y 4 is a fragmentary viewon` a larger scale showing the medial portionv of the fuselage in vertical longitudinal section, with the hatch open, and the container being lowered into position therein.

40 adaptations, or structurally modied forms, comrFig. 531s an end view,iloolring from the left of Fig. 4 towards the right-hand thereof. u Fig. 6 is a View s'imilar to Fig. 4. with the container seated in position, and the hatch closed.

Fig. 'l yis a fragmentary longitudinalseetiom somewhat similar to` Fig. '6,r and showing. the means adapted for reception and removal of a single full capaci-tyy cargo container-aswell as indicating preferred means for securing, the. con--= tainer against vertical displacement. during 'flight ofthe plane. Fig. 8 is a cross-section on the plane VIII-7 VIII of 7; and,u l ,.Fig. 9 is a plan section taken approximately as indicated bythe angled-arrows IXf-IXinFigJL In describing the form of this inventionasezgf empl-ined 'in `the dnawings herewith, specificI terms will beused ifor the sake of clarity, but itis to. be understood the scope ofsaid invention i;s `not thereby limited; each such term being ,intended to embrace all equivalents which perform. the samefpnction for an analogous purpose,v Except as hereinafter particularlypointedout, the airplane illustnated by way of example in Figs'. 1-73 may be generally of standard design and construction. y As showinthe airplane-has an elongate, fuselage [preferably of square, crosssectional configuration from which the main or lift Wings. 2 extendl laterally approximately at the central region, and` at the rear end of which` is a tailstructure 3I with pivoted horizontall and vertical Vanes ll land 5 for controlling the direction of flight. The airplane is powered by ftwoprof peller units each designated by the numeral 5, and lshown as mounted atthe forward. edges of the. lilftwingsy 2 atpoints equidistant frornfthe fuselage l; ,y y. a. ff v.

In :accordance'with the present invention, the mid-portionof the fuselage luis preferably set apart by transversely and longitudinall-yspaeed bracing .or guide bars l, l", respectively, ofchannel section, as well as corner angles. 8, allot ,which jointly serve to define a hold or cargo space ,for reception-of the C. L. container which is to be transported. In this instance, vthe hold or cargo space is provided with a4 cover composed of two vsections Si, il,l which are individually connected by longitudinally-extending hinges l0, Figs. 5 and 6, to opposite sides of the fuselage `l and which meet. inthe longitudinal lcenter of thetop 4ofsaid fuselage when closed. ,f It will now be, noted thatthe fuselage ll has a skeleton framework composed of suitably spaced ribs Il, l 2, and similarly spaced connectingv horirzontals I3 and i4 towhich-thecover shell-lis cargo compartment and connect only with theribs II, i2 and the longitudinals I3 and I4 are in practice, preferably fashioned from sheet metal to channel cross-section and are permanently united at the regions of overlap preferably by Welding. K The bracing or per portions outwardly flared at I6 to engage the lower flange of a channel-section forming the hatch-way Il, see Figs. 4-6 and "I to best advantage, about the opening in the fuselage I.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5 more particularly, it will be observed that the cargo-space is occupied by a C. L. container I8-for long distance transport-which accurately engages in the :space definedA by the guide bars T, 'I' and corner angles 8 whereas in Fig. 6 there is illustrated the adaptation of said defined space by an aligned series or multiplicity of smaller L. C'. L.l containers Ill-convenient for local delivery freight-each of which corresponds in width with the Width of the C. L. container I8, while the length thereof, or fore-and-aft, relative to the longitudinal median of the fuselage I is a definite multiple of the cargo-space lengthwise of the latter. In other words, the containers I9 have a lengthwise effective dimension, of the over all longitudinal dimension of the container I8.

' It is to be'further noted that the container I8, or containers I9, is-or are-conveniently arranged to seat on the deck 20, Figs. 'Z-9;A or use may be made of an intervening supporting means 2I, Figs. 4-6, provided with adjustable shackle devices 22 for holding the same rigidly in place, or in aligned assembly, respectively. The supporting means 2| preferably comprises a base frame 23 including angle-section sides and ends 24, '25, respectively, with a central lengthwise stlffener 26; and it is of a size to conform with that of the bottom of the container I8, or con tainers I9. Mounted on and secured.A to the base frame 23 are spaced transverse stiffeners 21, in turn supporting a sheet-material top 28.l Anchoring means 29 are provided at `determined inter- '.tofore, inasmuch as the load is supported on `Vsaid means 2|; or the means 2I` may form the bottom of the respective container I8, I9 with corresponding advantage.

' In order that the cover sections 9 may effectively prevent any verticaldisplacement of the container I8 or containers ISI during transport in the airplane, said sections are provided at 'definite locations with any suitable spring-influenced, downwardly-effective, movement-reguide bars 1, I have their wup-l :by when lowered into said space it is stabilized 4 straining devices 3I, that engage on the top of the container I8 or containers I9 when the cover sections 9 are closed down and locked. Obviously the cover sections are provided with suitable sealing medium thereabout for preventing the ingress of atmospheric elements which might adversely affect the content of the cargo-space.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A cargo airplane including afuselage with a cargo space having an opening in the top for passage thereinto or removal therefrom of a capacity load or plane load container, guide means below the opening defining the effective width and length of the cargo space and accurately engaging the sides and ends of the container wherelaterally and longitudinally, cover means closing the fuselage opening, and movement-restraining l devices dependent from said cover means effective tical displacement. I

to restrain the eontaineragainst vertical displacement. y .i

2. A cargo airplane including a fuselage with a cargo space having an opening in the top` for passage thereinto or removal therefrom of a capacity load-or plane load container; guide means below the opening defining the effective width and length of the cargo space and accur-atelyengaging the sides and ends of the container whereby, when lowered, it is stabilizedlaterally and longitudinally; cover` means closing. the fuselage opening, andgsaidcover means having definitely located downwardly-effective devices which, when the fuselage opening is closed, eng-age upon the top of the container and secure it against ver- 3. A cargo airplane including a fuselage with a cargo space having an opening in the top and a movable closure therefor, said opening enabling passage int-o or removal from the cargo space of a capacity load or plane load size container, the width and length ofsaid cargo space corresponding to the width andlength of said container and the depth of said cargo space when the airplane top is closed corresponding to the depth of the container, and guide means of suitable bar sections below the opening which limit the effective width and length of the cargo space and accurately engage the sides, ends and vertical corners of the container as it is lowered into place throughthe opening. n ,Y

4. A cargo airplane including a fuselage with a cargo space having an opening in the top with a movable cover, said opening permitting passage into or removal vfrom the cargo space of .a capacity load container or a series of less than capacity load or plane load size containers, the width and length of said cargo space correspond- Iing to the width and length of the containeror tthe aggregate length'of the less than capacity vload containers, and the depthof said cargo space when the top cover is closed corresponding tio the 4depth of the container or series off'less than capacity load containers, guide means below the opening in the top of the fuselage which limit the effective width and length of the cargo space and accurately engage the sides and ends of the container or containers as it or they is or are lowered into place through the opening, the effective length of the cargo space being controlled by stop means defining a space whichA corresponds with the lengthwise dimension of the capacity load container and the over-all corresponding dimension of the less than capacity `load containers.

5, A cargo airplane as defined in claim l wherein the series of aligned less than capacity load or less than plane load containers are interchangeable and individually insertable or removable, and wherein each container has one dimension equal to that of the cargo space transversely and another dimension which is a proportionate dimension of the length of said space.

6. A cargo airplane as defined in claim 4 wherein each said container has a width corresponding to the width of the cargo space, wherein the depth of said container corresponds to the depth of the cargo space when the latter is closed, and wherein the lengthwise dimension of each such container is an equal proportionate part of the length of said cargo space.

7. The invention of claim 4 wherein the cover for the fuselage opening comprises relatively inward folding units which, when closed, abut in the longitudinal median of the fuselage body portion.

8. The invention of claim 4 wherein the cover for the fuselage opening is in the form of hinged units which when closed, abut medially lengthwise of the fuselage body portion, and pressure influenced downwardly-effective devices on the inner faces of said units engage on the tops of the respective containers to individually secure the latter against vertical displacement during transportation.

9. A cargo airplane according to claim 1, further including a lifting platform or skid upon which the container or containers is or are directly supported, said platform or skid being so proportioned as to engage and be restrained against shifting by the guide means during flight 6 of the airplane; and means along opposite sides of the platform or skid for releasable connection of hold-down straps to anchor the container or containers thereon.

10. A cargo airplane according to claim 1 for reception of a container or containers having perforated lugs at intervals longitudinally of opposite sides near the top thereof; and further including a lifting platform or skid upon which the container or containers is or are directly supported; and lugs along opposite sides of the platform or skid at points corresponding to the lugs on the container or containers for attachment of hold-down shackle devices to anchor the container or containers thereto.

ALANSON O. TAYLOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

